Scarlet Moonlight
by 15 Shades of Red
Summary: As Rouge is caught in a twisted war between Dr. Eggman and his rebelling machines, lead by E-123 Omega, Shadow seeks to find both her and the truth about his feelings toward her... if there are any after all, which he still doubts. Updated!
1. In the Dark

**Author's Corner – **Okay… so I still have another story I'm not even a quarter of the way finished with yet. -sweatdrops- Well, I had an urge to write something else, so I will. This story takes place after Sonic '06, but since nobody remembers anything anyways, it's practically after Shadow the Hedgehog. Mmmhmm. Unless I'm missing a game there. xD

Well, enjoy. All review types welcome. _All_ review types. x3

* * *

The stars, pressed against the sky like tiny, flickering gems waiting to be discovered in a dark cavern somewhere exotic, gave the only light to the black mountainsides and ebony forests, but the city had stars of its own. Golden streetlight pooled across the sidewalks, and some late-night offices burned through the black of midnight with their amber windows fueling light from their lamps as they dove into the last of their paperwork.

Despite the lights all around, there were still patches of darkness, for where is there light without shadow?

Especially if you were, yourself, a 'shadow'.

He needed not the light he was provided as he roamed the city tops, wide, questioning eyes fixed in a burning glare on the world beneath him. He stood atop one of the smaller buildings—a market, or something, as far as he knew—and was now watching as, even now, the world was awake and buzzing with life, in actuality.

He knew of the sinful things people did at night—partying in sleazy clubs like the one he was close to, whose loud, dirty music filled the air with its heavy notes. He also knew that most of those people weren't sober, weren't clear-headed, and wouldn't wake up in their own beds the next morning, which made him chuckle quietly to himself as he thought of it.

Humans were so easily preoccupied.

Most of his Mobian species were, too, but this particular hedgehog was not like most of his species; he wasn't even born of the process they were. He had only a few friends, and most of them were awestruck by his appearance, his attitude, and his background, which had been shrouded in mystery until recently; recently being when the alien, Devil Doom, had brought his alleged immortal horde of black and red monsters.

The other Mobians and humans had wondered many things about Devil Doom when he had visited their planet; why was he here? Why was he powerhungry and bloodthirsty?

Most of all… why was he hanging around Shadow, the once well-respected, well-known hero who had helped the national hero, Sonic the Hedgehog, in the battle involving Colony ARK. It was quite a mystery to them.

It was even more of a mystery to Shadow.

There was no longer this troubling aura of darkness, or blurriness, of questions and no answers. He knew the truth—and it wasn't pleasing. Or it hadn't been at first. He was now beginning to think of the possibilities he had; the power in his hands, in his heart, in his body, in his soul… the equal balance of heroism and malevolence… it intrigued him, and, yes, the conscience part of him was frightened and angered by it.

Penetrating the thick, muted walls of silence in which he brooded upon these opportunities was the brisk sound of wings slicing through the crisp night air. Turning, he wasn't surprised to see one of his acquaintances light upon the building's flat, squared-off roof, smiling charmingly. Ah.

_Her._

"Heya, Shadow," she greeted him, and warmly—too warmly. She appeared to be holding nothing in her hands—surprising—but he was sure she was on her way to hunt some self-deemed 'precious gem' or 'sacred jewel'. Hmph.

"Why are you here?" He interrupted abrubtly, not interested in her petty conversation but in fact quite interested to hear her reasons for visiting a loner who was walking the dark like a long-lost friend when she was the social kind—always in some mission, hired by some agent, or partying in some club.

Rouge the Bat was perhaps his closest living associate. Some would say she was his friend, for they had worked together on countless occasions—first at that unrecallable episode at Colony ARK, another time to annihilate Eggman and discover who he really was (accompanied by the robotic unit E-123 Omega), and she had also helped him during the time Devil Doom was launching a thwarted attack on his planet.

She was the closest thing to a friend Shadow had… but she was still only an _acquaintance._

Rouge sighed, somewhat flustered, though not naïve enough to show it. She put a hand on her hip, continuing to bait the black hedgehog she knew so well: "Well, I come out of the goodness of my heart to see you and you try to scare me off? That _ingenious _echidna usually has more appreciation for me that _that_." She then chuckled, rolling her eyes.

"Stop toying with me, Bat Girl. What are you really out here for? I see you have no jewels. Were you on your way to get one and decided security was too rough, that you needed help?" The tone layered over his voice was dark with hostility, but Rouge wasn't about to be hurt because of that.

"Well… you've only scratched the surface of the matter, I'm afraid," she said, grinning crookedly. "I'm not entirely defenseless against those guys, just for the record, but I'm not planning on stealing any old jewel from any old person. Try… the _Master Emerald_ from _Knuckles the Echidna_! And… well… I've never succeeded in getting it before. Alone, that is." She batted her eyes, soft blue eyeshadow the shade of her irises flashing briefly along with long black lashes.

He smirked on the outside and rolled his eyes dramatically, but some inner, shoved-aside part of his heart was hurt. A sulking conscience, perhaps, was viewing this with some bitterness. _She only came for the jewel, after all… no one would go out of their way to say hello to _you_, Shadow the Hedgehog._

Shaking these pitiful thoughts away and flinging them far, he turned to look back at the night life.

Rouge could sense a bit of disappointment here, which startled her. What was it he had wanted from her? She thought for a moment, an idea suddenly coming to her. Hmm… "What if we snatched Knuckles' precious little Emerald, then went to my favorite club to celebrate?" She grinned, feeling some guilt slip away.

Shadow, his back to her, stiffened considerably when she said this. _Are you crazy?_ He wanted to inquire verbally. _Have you forgotten who and what I am?_ Instead, he let out a harsh, sarcastic and quite audible laugh. He voiced his opinions, but not as brashly.

"You don't think I'd even consider…"

"It doesn't matter. I'm not inviting you. I'm gonna drag you away. You're gonna have fun, and like it," she snickered, flapping her wings for emphasis.

Shadow's gleaming eyes swung around, piercing her turquoise gaze with his own startling blood-red glare. "Oh, really? I'd like to see that."

"You will—first-hand," she shot back, still smiling coyly. Shadow's eyes lingered on her smile for a moment, but he only shook his head.

"Let's just get out of here so I can leave," he muttered, turning and running past her.

She smiled to herself, knowing she'd won yet another argument with Shadow.

_Men of all kind are so easy to work,_ she thought, lips curving pleasurably. With Shadow on her side, nothing could go wrong this night, and she would finally get him to have some fun with her.

Maybe.


	2. The Emerald Heist

**Author's Corner – **Ooh. Reviews. I like reviews. Who doesn't? xD

Thanks, guys and girls.

I'm putting a short hiatus (notice: short) on _Of Shuriken and Sunlight_ because;

1. I'm not too into Espio right and I might get his character off a bit

2. Shadow and Rouge are more interesting than Espio and Kimono right now (actually, they almost always are)

3. I have writer's block and have discovered a wall in that damned story's plot. xD

4. …I don't know. Sometimes it gets boring.

However, it is not dead and will not die until it's complete. And then I'm leaving its rotting corpse up on my profile. So yeah. It ain't leavin'.

Heh heh. Okay, okay; thanks again, and here we go.

* * *

The night sky was so beautiful.

That is, if you had the compatibility to appreciate the wonders of the unknown.

However, it is obvious that you would if you spent most of your waking hours (and unconscious hours) upon the same island, around the same environments… you had endless amounts of time and thousands of questions running through your brain.

Perched on the low green hill overlooking the world below his very own Angel Island, a kingdom he would have rather not inherited. Despite this, everyone close to him knew Knuckles the Echidna would guard Angel Island and its prize—the Master Emerald—until his death.

Starlight interwoven through his red coat, the moon reflecting in his orchid gaze, he stared into the endless depth of star-spattered darkness that was his closest friend nowadays.

Oh, yes, he was still good friends with Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower the Fox, and Amy Rose, but they didn't go out of their way to visit him usually.

Sighing moodily, he turned away, eyes focused on the Emerald's container.

Usually, it spun in a smooth circle, the sculpted edges gleaming with brilliant emerald luster.

Usually.

But usually it was _there in the holder_!

"Damn," Knuckles growled, anger lancing through his limbs.

"Getting rusty, Knucklehead? You were never this stupid before… or maybe you were, and I just never noticed," taunted a smooth, sweet-sounding female voice from above. All too familiar – unfortunately for the red guardian echidna.

"Ah, dammit, Bat Girl," he cursed the thief.

She was sitting on the hill above the one he rested on, the Master Emerald behind her. She looked the same as she had the last time she'd taken the Emerald – cocky, confident, sly and wickedly poised. Her wings were splayed, making her seem much slighter than she was.

And… that to the left of her… _Shadow_!

Shadow stepped forward, face expressionless. If it weren't for the bright scarlet highlights that seemed to illuminate him, like a splotch of blood against snow, almost. Sooty snow. He flicked a glance Knuckles' way, then turned back to Rouge.

The bat sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Ah, Knux, you echidnas have filthy language," she purred, eyes boring into his.

He was rapidly becoming infuriated. _So, she couldn't do it by herself. She has to cheat further and use Shadow against me. Great. Well, I'm not giving up that easily._

"Well, you stupid winged rats have no morals," he snapped, temper rising unsteadily. He leapt up, poised to strike her in the face heavily… but that was what she had Shadow for. From the side, the Black Blur disappeared from where he'd stood, pouncing on Knuckles and driving him back. They landed on the hill, both on their feet, eyes meeting challengingly – Shadow's cold crimson-ringed eyes and Knuckles' enraged dark amethyst glare.

Rouge yawned, pretending to be bored, though she was enjoying this quite a bit, levelly staring down at the echidna and the hedgehog as they awaited. She felt like a queen whose subjects were fighting for her loyalty. She hovered slightly and then rested on the Master Emerald—something she knew would infuriate Knuckles, if he'd seen her.

However, Knuckles wasn't concentrating on Rouge.

Shadow.

"I won't let you thieves get the Master Emerald!" He bellowed, starting to assume his fighting stance, but Shadow was much swifter than Knuckles. He tackled him with the Spin Dash, not much of an attack, but enough of one to knock the red echidna off his feet with surprise.

It'd been awhile since he'd brawled with Sonic or Amy—and Shadow was faster than Amy and at least as fast as Sonic. He was used to dealing with Eggman's rust-buckets, beating stupidity with brawn, like he always did. Speed was hard to beat with only strength, as he was discovering. It had been too long since he'd fought Shadow.

The dark hedgehog skidded to a halt behind Knuckles, a smirk on his muzzle, now. "I'm rather disappointed," he commented dryly, flicking a smug look at the red echidna. "I expected a _battle_ here, not a pillow fight."

Knuckles' pupils dilated with rage.

"You… you… raaaah, that's it!"

He leapt into the air, his anger charging his punches. Shadow dodged them with some effort, realizing he had provoked him into a stronger but more reckless state as well. _Now's the time,_ he thought, ducking when Knuckles through an uppercut, leaping when he aimed for his legs.

It would only be a matter of time when the enraged echidna struck him, and he had an idea it wouldn't be too much time.

Rouge seemed to catch the idea that she needed to get out of there.

Before leaving with the Emerald in her possession, she turned around and pretended to throw Knuckles a kiss. "See ya, sugar," she exclaimed, laughing triumphantly and ascending to the air.

Shadow's eyes narrowed.

Knuckles' widened.

Deciding to drop Shadow and go straight for Rouge, he shoved the black hedgehog aside and leapt upwards before the bat got high enough; he gripped her legs with surprising weight and force, sending both of them tumbling into the dust.

Not waiting for the chance the sly thief would take the Emerald again and leave him breathlessly surprised, he jumped up, his prized possession in his gloved claws.

"I suggest you leave, Bat Girl, or it's gonna get ugly."

"It wasn't beautiful to start with," she barked, rising to her feet, clearly in pain. Not physical pain, though; she couldn't believe she'd failed… again. It seemed no matter how hard she tried, the damned echidna was always going to come out on top.

"Well," Shadow said coldly, coming up behind the two, "Seems you know how to fight a little bit after all. Let me give you a few hints." Rouge saw, to her pleasure, that he was gripping his small, gleaming green Chaos Emerald in his hand. She knew what that meant.

Knuckles turned, more than a little agitated.

"What are you—ahh! What the—"

"Chaos _Control_!"

Knuckles froze. Literally.

Rouge, excited, charged the Master Emerald, knowing Shadow's freezing time power didn't last for long. She gave the dark hedgehog a conspiratorial look.

She had finally succeeded—the Master Emerald was her's!

He didn't voice this aloud, but he thought to himself, _Somehow, I don't think that will last long._


	3. Silken Silence

**Author's Corner – **Ah, sorry for my absence.

I haven't had any muse for awhile and I decided I'd pick it back up with a small chapter. I might be updating on _Of Shuriken and Sunlight_ more now, but, well, we'll see. xD

So complicated.

That's what I get for writing two stories at once…

* * *

Gliding through the air, her dark plum wings slicing like a clean knife into soft butter, Rouge the Bat merrily and greedily deposited the Master Emerald in her home, in her bedroom. She considered this one of the best days of her life, and she wasn't about to have it ruined by some thug unsuspectingly snatching her beautiful new treasure from underneath her nose if she turned it away. The city was like that – crazy.

Storing in the safe behind her bed, nestling it safely among the shelves, she admired its glamorous, lustrous jade sheen once more, the light reflecting in her shimmering sapphire irises and casting pale shadows on her round, dark pupils. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she smiled sweetly at the gem, blew it a moist kiss, and slammed the safe's door shut again.

Rouge noticed Shadow sitting in the corner, expressionless. His eyelids were halfway over his wide eyes, but the ruby rings around his pupils were pulsating with the brilliance of spilled blood. She knew he wasn't exactly enthralled with the idea of going with Rouge to her favorite night club at exactly midnight after a tiring day, but she was going to drag him, kicking and screaming, through those doors.

With this thought, she slipped into her plush bathroom to refresh her makeup, taking great care for reasons she couldn't understand. Her heart thumped madly at her breast, making her wonder if she was excited because of the success of the Master Emerald's heist, the excitement about venturing into the city with a friend, or… she shook the thought away irritably.

No time for that. Let some other foolish little fillies worry about mad little movie star crushes. Besides, Shadow was no glamorous movie star. The fact was, he was dangerous, and she was his friend… nothing more.

Sweeping soft, glittering blue eyeshadow over her lids, caressing her lips with shining rose lipstick and adjusting her jumpsuit, she looked herself in the mirror, nodding approvingly. She had always been vain, and still was, always concerned with her makeup, her hair, her clothing… but tonight… it seemed more important.

_Ridiculous,_ she told herself harshly, determinedly.

Stretching her wings, checking the mirror one more time, Rouge swung from the bathroom and, with lightning speed, swooped right by Shadow, grabbing his hand firmly with her's, tugging him aggressively through the door, eyes glimmering sharply at this sudden, abrubt action.

"Wait… what-?"

"No words," she clucked, flicked her eyes in a wicked, malicious fashion towards her captive, and declared, "We're gonna have some fun tonight!"

Oh, how wrong and right she was… simultaneously…


	4. Neon Warnings

**Author's Corner – **I just want to warn everybody… this story gets considerably darker after this chapter.

Just because. I'm like that. x-) And even though I didn't like Knuckles very much before, I'm starting to like him, and I have a special part for him in the chapters to come. -evil smile-

Like I said, darkness, darkness, and more… can you guess… _darkness_!

* * *

Neon lights were flashing brilliantly, casting several shades of luminous false colors upon the writhing bodies, twisting ludicrously on the dance floor. Most of them, Shadow noticed, were drenched in liquor—of course. Among them was Rouge, the crazy female; meanwhile, he leaned against the wall, looking bored and more than a little annoyed.

Oh, god! Why had he ever decided to come with that irritating bat? She was mad if she really thought he would enjoy this. Nonetheless, from the excited look on her bright face as she held hands with a shady, dreadlocked coyote, a fanged smirk on his face and a sensuous grin on her own, he guessed she was enjoying herself.

He stood, glaring around, his eyes hooded as though he were tired; but he was simply agitated. Several colors bounced off of his dark fur, reflecting in his crimson eyes. Ah, hell… why was he staying here?

"Hey, honey. Slummin' tonight?" Purred a silky voice from beside him. Disinterestedly, Shadow turned bored eyes to a raccoon who very well could have been a prostitute. Her makeup, not carefully applied, like Rouge's, was caked on in tremendous amounts, and she was scantily cloud. What she did have on was so tight, it appeared a coat of paint. Twirling her bushy ringed tail, she winked at him suggestively, and he rolled his eyes.

"Hah. Degrade myself with you? Don't take me for the trash you are, filthy mammal." Turning his head, he received a satisfactory gasp of anger. She approached him further, making him wrinkle his nose. Great; what would it take for her to get the freaking message?

Flexing her claws, the trampy raccoon grimaced and snapped, "Oh, what, ya think yer too good for me, do ya?"

Shadow yawned. "I don't think; I know."

Angrily shaking her head, the prostitute whirled about and stalked into the crowd again. Huh. Some 'favorite club'; either that fluffy thing was a rich, successful whore or Rouge had poor tastes. Somehow the second one was more likely.

"Hey, Shadow!" Cried Rouge, spreading her wings and gliding over, smiling cheerily. "How're you doing?" As she landed, he noticed a distinct wobbling to her step and, disgusted, felt an angry wave pass through him.

"Damn you, Rouge! You're drunk… well… you stay here. I'm leaving. Have a nice… fun… night."

Whirling away, he began to slip from the club, narrowing his eyes coldly. He promised himself never to step inside the stupid club again… although he felt Rouge's sorrowful blue eyes eyeing him from the back.

"Aw… c'mon, Shadow…"

Ugh… why had he allowed himself to be dragged here? She had used him, damn it! She had used him to steal the Master Emerald, and had dragged him to this sleazy whorehouse! Well… at least he'd learned his lesson.

Looking back once, Shadow's red eyes brightened with a new fury; there was Rouge, hanging on that coyote with the bangs in his face, laughing indulgently at something he'd either said or done. Disgust filtered through him at a rapid pace; although Rouge wasn't "loose" with herself, she sure knew how to get a guy to buy her drinks and dance with her…

Allowing himself to give a wilted smirk, he continued out the door, cherishing the fresh air and the frost-burred breeze that hit him in the face as soon as he slid out of the noisy, colorful and crowded club. He didn't think he could have walked away any faster.

So what if Rouge was with another guy? She could be with thousands (and probably _had_ been with thousands, he mused) and it wouldn't have bothered him before. Ah, who cared what that catty winged freak did, anyways?

Despite this, he glanced back worriedly.

What was his problem, anyways? If the positions had been reversed, would she have given a damn? Pondering this briefly, he was positive that the answer was no – she'd fly on to another good time, leaving him to suffer "come what may".

But if Shadow had a conscience, it was calling to him faintly.

_And here we go again,_ thought the black hedgehog darkly, before sighing to himself and whirling around. This time his pace was slow, though – if she suffered, it was her own damn fault, after all.


	5. Brilliance of a Star

**Author's Corner – **Well, I didn't get many reviews last time, but that's okay. After all, I'm not writing this for reviews. In any case, hopefully this chapter doesn't seem awkwardly written… because if it is, I serenely apologize.

* * *

It was getting late… even on Rouge's clock.

After all, although she loved to dance, she usually got home by one thirty; it was bordering two fifteen a.m. Glancing back at the night's dancing partner, sitting at the bar and sipping some kind of hard liquor with a coy expression – a coyote named Archie, whom she knew was nothing but trouble – she sighed and decided that when he returned for another dance, she would tell him she had to scram.

Not only was she getting a bit tired, but she had realized at midnight that Shadow had left in a huff. She had been watching him walk out of the club with a woeful expression, hoping he would see her pain and return, but obviously, that hadn't happened. Archie had taken advantage of this, and whirled her onto the dance floor with more passion than before.

That bothered her.

She hadn't come to be catered to by the cute – if not decidedly dangerous – coyote. She had come _with Shadow_. Ahh… why did he have to make such a big deal out of _everything_? He really irked her sometimes. He had purposefully made himself miserable, so he could leave with an excuse he thought justifiable. _What a jerk,_ she thought coldly to herself.

Glancing up as Archie neared her, she sweetly smiled, and, as planned, stated in a voice that dripped charm, "Hey, Arch, do you mind if we talk out back for a second?"

"Sure, love," he agreed, a look of lust spreading over his lean features.

Sure, it wasn't smart to call out a dangerous dog to a dark, deserted back alleyway after she'd practically lead him on all night, but Rouge was not your average girl. She wasn't worried in the least; why should she be? She had faced up to worst than a hormonal coyote several times over.

Pulling him to the side, she told him in a voice that practically dripped her endless supply of feminine charm, "I'm sorry, dearie, but I just _have_ to get home. I'm exhausted from dancing, the alcohol has gone to my head… and my bed's calling to me."

For a moment a look of displeasure shadowed the canine's face; but, shaking his bangs out of his leering wolf-like face, peering at her through small, tight amber eyes, "Aw, c'mon, honey. My bed's calling to you, too."

Ah, damn – a pervert. Well, Rouge wasn't in the mood for that kind of thing. Chuckling outwardly, but inwardly seething, she responded, "I'm sure. Well…" she whirled, turning off the charm like a faucet, "I'm sure you can pick up a hooker on the way home."

"A—a hooker! Now, you listen to me! I spent a fortune on you, buyin' you drinks!" He seemed outraged as he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her closer, but she was more than strong enough to pull away with a roll of her eyes.

"Yes, that was very sweet of you. I'll send you a Christmas card."

"You… you… you tease!" He snarled, standing taller. "I'm not gonna let you walk outta here like that after you—"

"What are _you_ going to do about it?"

Rouge blinked; she hadn't said that. Preparing to kick the ass of this crazy dog, yes; but she hadn't said _that_. And that familiar cold voice belonged to none other than…

"Shadow?"

Surprise colored her voice as the black hedgehog stepped forward, the moonlight illuminating the red highlights on his broad onyx quills. His scarlet eyes gleamed with a luster with the equivalence of light on newly spilled blood. Archie glanced into his eerie red glare with a bit of annoyance, but confusion clouded his face after a moment.

"What, who the hell are you?" He asked quizzically, glancing up at Rouge, who threw a rather angry look at Shadow.

"What does it matter to you, scum? Get out of here, and away from _her_, and me, if you don't want to be severely thrashed." The irate hedgehog warned, stepping closer in a menacing way.

Archie through a quizzical look to the white bat, then to Shadow, and a note of understand flashed through his golden eyes. "Ahh, wait a minute, I get it." He turned to the girl he'd apparently had high hopes on for a fun night, "This is your boyfriend, and you didn't want him to know you were cheating on him." Turning back to Shadow, he scoffed before either could deny, "Well, you can have this crazy tease. I guess she is beautiful, and she has to be great in bed, or you would never have dated her!"

Stalking around and slipping back into the club, the sleazy coyote left both of them speechless.

To cover enormous amounts of embarrassment, they began to scream at each other like an angry couple.

"You walk out on me in a huff, then come back to save the damsel in distress? Really, Shadow, it isn't as if I couldn't take that guy by myself! I'm not the timid little victim…" Rouge snapped.

"What were you thinking anyway? You aren't invincible, and you know the types that hang out in these seedy clubs! That guy… why were you teasing him if you knew you weren't going to…" Shadow began, but both black lifeform and white bat froze, their voices drifting away.

Above them, the stars glittered, made brighter, it seemed to Rouge, by Shadow standing above her, his overprotective glare softening into a look of mild chastising, then to an expression of mellow relief.

Around them, shadows cast by moonlight danced in merriment.


	6. Ready, Set, Go!

**Author's Corner; **I'm sorry... I know, I was a bad girl and waited a long time to update. But, I promise, I am going to finish this damned story if it kills me! Plus, I'm still in love with the ideas in my evil mind.

Again, I'm sorry for the eternal wait. If you're still interested, please forgive my... lack of... um... presence?

* * *

"You're lookin' pretty depressed, buddy," rattled off the bartender, a darkish gold weasel who was polishing a wine glass and throwing a sympathetic glance Shadow's way. He shifted his iridescent red irises to his own glass, showing no emotion. Why did these damned bartenders think they could help anybody with their problems?

"I'm fine." This cold statement was greeted with a smug look on the weasel's part. He shrugged and placed the glass on a lower shelf.

"Whatever you say, buddy." He was immediately drawn to a cute, buxom silver tabby who had coyly sat near him, and he abandoned Shadow, which was, after all, what the obsidian being had wanted.

Staring into the pale liquid in his glass, his thoughts raced. So many things to think about, and this damn alcohol was only making his mind twirl in such a flare of emotions and ideas, it was foolish. He hadn't started drinking until a few days ago, and it was only to calm himself down.

For some reason, he angered easily these days.

_Huh. Some reason? Everyone's… gone. Everyone I know, anyways. Sonic's off, trying to stop Eggman from doing something I don't know about. Omega's been gone for awhile. I haven't even been able to find Rouge anywhere. Honestly, it's like I'm contagious, or something._

It had been a long time since Shadow had done much but drink and stare at the sky, feeling odd passings of melancholia sweep over him. There wasn't much for him to do anymore, but occasionally try for other emeralds (Rouge had taken the Master with her, wherever she was) and brood over the past.

His favorite past times, of course.

Glaring around the room, he felt he needed something to get his mind off of the past – the usual. Maria, GUN, Team Dark, Sonic, Black Doom, Rouge…

The weasel with the honey-toned blonde fur was hitting on the sweet silver feline, who was playing along accordingly. He was quite disinterested in both of them; he was friendly and she was cute, but there was no reason for him to make friends tonight. In fact, he saw straight through them, towards the large, long window which showed the dark night sky against the pale, cracked stucco of the many buildings beyond.

Peering closer, he noticed something dark and fleeting on the rooftops, cast not by a cloud over the waxing moon but smaller and lighter.

_A wingshadow?_

Tilting his head, he glanced at his drink and decided to investigate. There was a chance he'd be disappointed, but… it sure as hell wouldn't be the first time.

Downing the rest of his glass, he shot up and bolted for the door, realizing he would look foolish, like a dog chasing a Frisbee, but he was beyond caring. When had he ever cared what others thought?

Following the slight shape in the difference, he couldn't tell whether it was flying or strolling, but less it's gender or species. He sighed rather boredly, as though this were nothing but another game to him, and then kicked off the side of the bar to stand on the roof.

Shadow kept his eye on the disappearing figure, and as he thought about it, he realized how terribly desperate he was for someone to return to him. It was downright depressing, and he realized, for once, that he _had_ to care. Shaking his head in disgust, he pushed those thoughts over his shoulder and streaked across the rooftops of several rundown, downtown buildings, appearing a streak of dark lightning with bloodied highlights.

He was intrigued with the fleeting shape, but as he drew nearer, he realized, to his confusion and frustration, that there were _several _shapes, all near the same size, as they appeared to be wildly running after something.

Sighing, he decided he needed to speed it up if he wanted to catch up with the mysterious – and petty – adventure. Now, instead of a bolt of lightning, he appeared an onyx shockwave, flying over the roofs so fast his feet barely touched their surface. It was a gift, to be so ungodly quick.

Shadow realized what the seven-or-so shapes were as they moved along. Now that he was on their trail, he realized they were moving quite fast for what they were built for, and threw out a lucky guess they were designed by Eggman. Not those strange crafts he built to carry himself into the sky, but those little soldierlike robots that merely glided after you and occasionally shot some bullets. He smirked, wondering who they were chasing over some old, crumbling downtown buildings and why they hadn't destroyed them yet.

Shrugging and deciding, for once, to be a good, obedient little Samaritan and put those scraps of trash out of their dictated misery, he leapt towards them, no longer on the ground. Curling into a ball, he swiftly and deftly hit one of them, causing it to crumble. Immediately, he bounced towards the next, and the next, and so forth, until all of them were merely dust in the wind.

Standing there in the invisible remains, he stared down at where they'd been, lost in thought. Interrupting him was a loud, casually friendly voice from behind him. "Hey, Shadow! Was that you who kicked off Eggman's robots?"

He glanced up with a mildly interested look, which was abbreviated with the shadows of night shielding his bright gaze. Behind him (how had he managed that?), Sonic the Hedgehog stood, looking… pretty happy, he guessed. Why? It wasn't his best friend or his girlfriend – just Shadow. He shrugged.

"It wasn't like it was challenging. Why didn't _you_ knock them out, is what I want to know. Too strong for you?" He smirked and stepped forward.

"Yeah, right!" Sonic scoffed, smiling, too. "I was just having fun. I haven't got a proper exercise in weeks. So… if I seemed rusty, that's why."

"Sure." Shadow rolled his eyes and took yet another step forward. "I'm sure beating you in a race would be like smashing a ladybug under your shoe."

"You? Beat me? Hah!" Sonic's brilliant lime eyes lit with joy at the prospect of another race. Shadow regarded him with a cold stance, but inside his heart pumped adrenaline throughout his limbs. His mind chastised him, _Shadow? Should you really be racing when you're drunk?_

He decided to ignore the sensible side of him and grinned mockingly.

"Is that a challenge, my lesser lifeform?"

"You bet!" Sonic leapt up, approaching Shadow and standing by him side by side.

They locked eyes, sparkling green to metallic red, and chanted in unison: "One… two… three… GO!"

Xx

Relaxing against the wall, Sonic sighed and smiled over at Shadow, who sulked in the darker part of the alley in which they stood. He winked at his friend. "Ah, c'mon, buddy, a tie isn't all that bad!"

"A tie? We always tie. I know you don't compare to the red of one of my quills, much less my true potential," he sullenly answered, tilting his head up. "Anyways, I haven't seen you… or much of anyone… in quite awhile. Where were you?"

Sonic appeared to be thinking, putting his hand under his chin in thought. Shadow couldn't resist the urge to prompt, "Don't hurt yourself."

The blue hedgehog sent a fury-heated glare his way, then cooled off and answered, "I was hunting down Eggman. It was pretty exclusive this time; the only ones who went with me were Amy and Tails. Oh… and Knuckles. No one else – not your friend, not the Chaotix, not Silver or Blaze – went with us. Say… you wouldn't happen to know where Rouge is, do you?"

Shadow started at the sound of his friend's name. "Actually… no. I was hoping you would. Why would you want to know?" He found himself worrying now that Sonic had admitted that he and his closest friends were gone, no one else.

"Well, I've heard she's packed up for something and took the Master Emerald, too. Knuckles is pretty… well… he's pretty pissed off about it. He has been searching to the ends of the earth to find it, and, look, it's his life. I mean, sure, it's fun to rub his fur the wrong way, but…" He raised his eyes to stare into Shadow's. "He's torn up. Blaming himself."

"I was there when Rouge took it," Shadow answered indifferently. "I don't know much else about it, or her, for that matter. She could be dead and the Master Emerald under government lock and key, for all I know." He started to turn, but Sonic stopped him.

"Wait… Shadow… seriously. I think we need to talk about the whole Master Emerald thing."

"We already have," he retorted, not even bothering to glance at his lighter doppelganger. "I have no information to give you."

"It isn't information I want," he added casually. "I… er… can we talk about this? I mean, the Master Emerald is really vital to Knuckles and Angel Island, as we both know, and, uh, I can't really locate your batty friend myself… so…"

Shadow groaned, but his eyes lit with fire simultaneously.

And he thought tonight would be boring.


	7. Preface to a Bloodbath

**Author's Corner – **Yay! New chapter, and so soon? Yep, yep, yep! I figured I owed it, and besides, it isn't very long, just explaining what's happening with Rouge at the same time Sonic and Shadow are plotting. And I added a new favorite here. : - D

Anyways, enjoy and leave any review you can!

* * *

Rouge lighted on a moon-bright silver rooftop, her eyes narrow with concentration. The smooth white of her ears were set away from her face as she struggled to catch all hints of sound around her. Finally, after a few minutes of pure silence, she relaxed and stepped forward, only to nearly jump out of her wings when a metallic, blankly-edged voice reprimanded her,

_Intruder! What do you think you are doing here? This is Steel Fire territory!_

Whirling around with a kick, she found herself landing one squarely on the head of her attacker, and she sent the heavy thing back a few feet, for it was obviously surprised by the blow. Peering at it closely through the dark shadows at which it had landed, she suddenly sighed with relief.

It wasn't an enemy at all; or at least, she hoped not, for if E-123 Omega had been angered he would have been a far more formidable opponent than the catty bat thief could handle. Flying over, she sweetly apologized, "I'm sorry, Omega! I had no idea what weird robot I'd awakened over in this dump! Forgive me for my crudeness."

Leaping to its feet with a heavy thudding sound, its small, furious red eyes fixed on her, then the same mechanic voice issued forth, directed at her in a monotone that she allowed herself to think was on the verge of being forgiving.

_Rouge! This is Steel Fire territory. You – or any of your kind – are not welcome here. Leave before I escort you myself._

Blowing air through her lips frustratedly, Rouge countered, "You have an Emerald hidden in here somewhere, don't you, Omega? I _need_ that Chaos Emerald, so let me through or I'll fight my way through!" She found her voice coarse with tension and panic. If the old E-Series experiment didn't let her through, she _would_ have to fight her way through, and she knew she wouldn't make it out alive if she did…

Then something occurred to her.

"Wait. What do you mean by my kind isn't welcome here?"

Omega answered monotonously with a clenching of his claw-like fists, _Steel Fire is a group led by myself to annihilate all who oppose our conquest! We will not surrender to any bleeding ones! Steel Fire is here on this world to conquer and kill! _Rouge flinched, then noticed something she should have realized. He noticed her resigned expression and seemed to smugly state, _Yes, this is all because of the Eggman. We have been stopped and destroyed before… by your kind! Never again._

"Look, Omega, if you think I'm one of Eggman's guards—"

_It does not matter what I think. It matters only what you are. I do not plan to let you free if you claim to continue into Steel Fire's acquired territory. We—_

Rouge blinked. "Steel Fire, huh? And you operate it?" She was stalling for time, her mind racing as she thought of some way to get past Omega and into the security base at the bottom of the hill. Who knew what would happen? Not her, but she did need the distractions.

Impatiently, Omega found the words after fuming at her for a moment: _Yes. I, E-123 Omega, control and lead the Steel Fire Organization. It consists of resisting and discarded machines created by the Eggman. We are out to get any revenge we can… before we are destroyed ourselves._

He sounded resigned to this, and not at all worried or angry. Rouge questioned, now a bit interested, "Hey, that's no way to talk, Omega! Eggman… well… he may be 'evil' and stupid… but he isn't heartless enough to kill all of his creations… well, actually he is. Nevermind; how about this? I'll help you infiltrate Eggman's base if you allow me to cross into your territory and take the Emerald!"

Omega's eyes fixed on her face for a moment, and she felt her knees weaken with hope. If this didn't work, she would simply turn tail and fly right into Omega and the Steel Fire's base, which would in the end kill her. Either that or she "escaped", which, too, would kill her on her way out.

Finally, he answered, gratitude-deprived voice rasping against her ears and making them twitch irritably, _I agree to this pact. However, deception will not be tolerated. If you try to turn coat on our Steel Fire Plot, you will surely be destroyed._

Rouge sighed with relief as Omega turned, beckoning to her with his large claw-fist-thing. _Now come. I will make the announcement to the Steel Fire organization, and you will state your plan._

"With pleasure," agreed a very pleased Rouge the Bat, who was secretly thinking of her escape route after snatching Omega's emerald and dashing to the door. She didn't want to get herself killed, but… how was she going to lead a bunch of violent, vengeful robots into an evil genius's core?

It seemed next to impossible, yet she wasn't worried.

Master of manipulators, loveliest of liars, and smoothest of sleuths, Rouge would certainly figure it out.


	8. Dream a Little Dream of Me

**Author's Corner -- **Heya. Sorry it's been awhile. Working on two stories at once here, although it might not seem like it… in any case, here's the next chapter, folks. It's a short one, but it's crucial to the next three or four chapters, so… enjoy!

* * *

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Shadow stared morbidly out the window, eyes on the tops of the buildings beyond his reach. The sunlight seemed to barely brush the pinnacles of those skyscrapers, those immense concrete mountains in which so many unknowing humans dwelled… he felt so damned dark, it wasn't even slightly cute or funny.

No. He was so tired of running… or chasing… or being chased, he supposed, as he looked back on what little of his life he knew of. He wanted to be free from the chains of his past, which still clung to his ankles. What would it take to grasp the key dangled before his scarlet eyes, the key he'd held in his fingers but never for longer than four or five seconds?

Everything he'd done so far had been a complete waste of time, or so he figured. He and Sonic had been seeking his rather catty vampire bat, who had been flitting in and out of his thoughts as easily as she did through locks and containers. He didn't want to admit that he was actually very wrapped up in finding her, and was even less eager to admit his powerful frustration at not having found even a slight clue.

Sighing and leaning back on the bed, he fixed his glare moodily on the ceiling, lost in thoughts too dark for an undertaker, before there was a light rapping on his door. Slowly twisting his head over in annoyance, he leapt off the bed, walking with reluctance to the entrance to his room. Jerking open the door in distaste, he found himself thrown backwards.

Clinging to him for dear life was a very seductive-looking Rouge, in a black leather coat and black boots, for a change, instead of her white heart-toed ones. He stumbled, clearly shaken, and she tilted her head up to stare into his eyes. Ice blue met blood red in what seemed like wonder from him, slyness from her.

Finally able to choke out his questions, he fired, "R-Rouge? What are you doing here? Do you know how long--"

"Shh," she whispered, shifting her to the door behind her, then turning back to him with a heartstoppingly sleazy grin on her face. "We have other things to do." The gloved hands behind his head snagged in his dark quills as she pressed her supple self against him as tightly as they could go with their clothing between them.

He opened his mouth, at first a little confused, but she pressed her mouth to his gaping one and allowed her tongue to slide in. Shadow's eyes went from narrow with suspicion to wide with shock… and… yes… pleasure.

Slowly drawing her moist maw from his, she moaned in a sultry dark voice, "So, Shadow… did you miss me?" She kicked one boot behind her, knocking the door hard enough to shut it.

Instead of replying, Shadow lowered his eyes from Rouge's expectant face to the black lace tank top she sported beneath her leather. Unable to remove his eyes on what it revealed -- and it did reveal -- he slowly brought his eyes lower, to the tight leather jeans and then to the spike heels. Then, traveling in the same speed as he had before, he fixed his eyes on her's once more while raising one quizzical eyebrow.

Accepting this for an answer, Rouge shrugged out of her coat, dropping it around her and arching her back slightly. "How much did you miss me?"

Shadow found himself grinning darkly, before responding in a slightly eager manner, "Hmm. Do you want me to show you?" She gave a peal of laughter, before kicking off her boots in a frenzy and shoving him backwards, where he landed splayed on his bed. Pouncing on him like a tigress on her zebra, she slid over him, still in her lace and leather. He changed that quickly, tearing the dark lace from her torso and yanking her jeans down so fast he nearly tore the lingerie beneath. Bringing his head to the smooth small of her back, he--

"Shadow?"

Jerking awake, the black and red hedgehog lifted his head from the mattress, eyes wide with what amounted to be surprise and some disappointment. Turning with a cold stare, he spied Sonic in the doorway of his apartment room, eyebrows raised with serious enjoyment.

"Um. Buddy, are you okay? What exactly were you dreaming about? 'Cause you were making some pretty interesting noises--"

"None of your business," Shadow interrupted frostily, casting his eyes to the ground in furious embarrassment. Goddamn, this was the third night this week that he'd had dreams like that… and this wasn't the first remark his next-door-neighbor had used to poke fun at the gestures he made while in his slumber.

The blue hedgehog shrugged, a small smile toying with his lips.

"Okay, whatever you say. Anyways, I think we oughta get up. I heard that there's a possibility someone might know someone who has a sister who might have an idea where a large gem is."

Shadow glared at him with incredulity. "And you think that gem might be the emerald, huh?"

Sonic just laughed at the hateful face, zapping to his friend's bedside and yanking him up by the arm. Unable to move, sleep making his limbs numb, Shadow just tiredly aloud himself to be dragged by the blue hedgehog.

"To the diner downstairs!" Cried the cerulean speed machine joyously.

"Augh, I thought you said you knew someone--"

"I do. She's the waitress, and ooh, is she hot!" He cried joyously. Shadow rolled his eyes, this statement taking him back to his dream. Another hot blush stained his cheeks, and luckily Sonic didn't notice, too busy dreaming of his waitress.

_God, I have to find Rouge before I go mad…_ thought Shadow morbidly, shaking his head in exasperation. _I can't take much more of these weird dreams…_

A part of Shadow was intrigued with his odd sexual fascination with the sly thief, though. He knew many sought after her for her sleek figure and lovely face, but he had known her for quite some time and had never thought of her as anything but an object to help him reach his goal.

Until recently. Well, Shadow wasn't exactly changing his views of her; she was still only a thing to him, something to be used and discarded, but… maybe her uses would expand. He was slightly ashamed for thinking that; after all, it was very humane and that was one thing he scorned the most… but… he was obviously seeking her for a reason.

The reason was unclear now, but the dark hedgehog had a feeling if he kept looking, he would certainly find it.


	9. Force and Fire

**Author's Corner -- **Don't ask me where I got the idea for this new, creepy character. I just happened to find it in the dark alleys of my brain. More on him next chapter; more on Shadow and Sonic, too. I decided to focus on Rouge and Omega for now. Oh, and Eggman. You always need Eggman in the story, somewhere. =D

* * *

Moonlight, like the coldest, palest imitation of sunshine, covered the ground in broad splashes, making the world a black-and-white watercolor painting. Not a sound was emitted in the frozen, silent, frost-gripped world; cold steel reflected nightlights from its surface and cast long gray shadows upon the white terra. Marching in eternal muted determination were the warriors; watching in total silence was their creator and their destroyer.

In his mind, the game was beginning; he was moving chess pieces, and he was preparing himself to throw his opponent's pieces to the floor and smash them into chunks fit for firewood. Smiling grimly as he pushed back from his monitor, he pressed a single scarlet button, and, without a sound, destruction and chaos was unleashed unto the night.

He loved a good game; he always did, especially when the game was one he knew he could win. How could he, the great Robotnik, not win this? It was not much of a challenge, not when he knew every move these incompetent robots made, thoughtlessly monitored. And now that the thief, the bat with white fur, was with them, he would kill several birds with one swift, slaying stone.

As he had said many times before…

Let the game begin; or, rather, end.

* * *

Rouge exhaled softly in the thick, frozen air; her breath plumed thinly in front of her, and at this she was annoyed. Every move she made was muted by the feathery snow underfoot, and yet her beating heart was thumping furiously, filling her with hot blood. In front of her were a few randomly selected robots whom Omega had trusted to guard her and make sure she was not deceiving them during this crucial mission.

In a fit of stupidity, she had accepted Omega's offer to help them defeat Eggman and help them escape his maddening grip on their limited lives. She understood their will for freedom; for most of these mindless androids, well, they were not out for blood as much as liberation. Had they ever gotten to make a decision themselves? No… and in their eyes, E-123 Omega, the last of the E-Series Projects, the most powerful and the most intelligent, was the key to their freedom.

She could almost taste the Chaos Emerald that Omega had salvaged from somewhere; she didn't dare ask where, for she was sure she'd be unpleasantly surprised. These robots had no class, after all. However, she could disregard the gem's origins, no matter how ghastly. She knew they were planning something nasty for the good ol' doc, and the Emerald was crucial.

Rouge may have been cold, but she wasn't prepared for Eggman's bloodbath, nor was she prepared for the robots to be mercilessly wiped out. She was, in fact, planning on swiping the Emerald, getting rid of Eggman's death machine, then leaving with no strings attached. She had been hunting Emeralds for awhile, and thankfully her Master Emerald was somewhere safe… for she knew Knuckles and his goody-goody friends were hunting for it.

Stretching her wings, she uttered the softest of cries while the frozen gust around her hit the tender flesh there. Shuddering from the utter cold, she spread her wings and prepared to take flight. At least she could see if Eggman was approaching; after all, Omega and the rest of his soldiers were back at their small base, awaiting their creator _there_, while these two, plus her, were guards. Ready to alert them if they thought he was coming.

Shaking her head, she nodded to the observing machines, who inclined their heads once for affirmation, and she took to the sky, feeling her heart shed its shadows and her head clear. Ahh… there was that word again. Not head, not heart; Shadow.

Casting weary blue eyes over the frozen wasteland, she saw nothing but eternal white, edged by dark, forest-born prints and creating the silent dark and pale painting in which they seemed to dwell in. In slight frustration, slight relief, she prepared to release tension from her wings and float back down; however, as she prepared for landing, something sharp took her in the back; fiery pain flooded through her, starting at her spine and warming around her flanks and belly. Giving a heartfelt cry, she flew hard at the ground, like a falling star from space's depths.

The robots, alerted, turned to stare up at whatever had hit Rouge. Her face in snow, she managed to crawl forward before turning herself around to stare at what had forced her into frost. Instead of seeing battling robots, however, she was hit in the face with the unwittingly bright glare of silent explosion.

Literally; no sound was emitted at all, except for the sound of scrap metal being blown to pieces. Instead of waiting to see what was attacking them or if her guards were still intact, she hurriedly scrambled to her feet, breathing heavily as she took, again, to the air. Of course, after her blow and unexpected fall, her flight was clumsy, and her takeoff allowed her only to hover above the ground for a few moments before she collapsed again.

She could hear nothing behind her, and this worried her immensely. Turning around or slowing down further could mean certain demise, and, with solid determination, she climbed to the sky again, this time without a takeoff or any other hindering preparations. She winced in pain as the sharp, freezing night air hit the sore slashes on her wings, but instead of lowering herself, Rouge propelled, not sure what was behind her but knowing it was bad news.

"Damn you, Eggman," she hissed with uncharacteristic rage. Not that she didn't get angry often; she was just usually more controlled. Knowing Omega's base was not too far and knowing she would have to lead the death-causing hunk of metal behind her right into the heart of it, she gritted her teeth in fury and charged forward like a jet plane. Nothing she could do, after all, but this…

And as her thoughts raced, the monstrous metal murderer behind her flew just behind her, focusing its target range on her back once again. She could hear light clicking, and a cold sweat broke over her white fur. Giving a strong flap, she pushed as fast as she could, but alas, all she could do to avoid being struck at again was to land. When she heard the unmistakable clipping of air -- the sound of bullets, or missiles, or _something_ dangerous like that -- she ducked so low her boots scraped snow and sent it flying in a cold cloud behind her.

Struggling to become fully airborne again was difficult; her flanks heaved sharply, her wings grew numb with cold and weariness, and she knew she could not fly all the way to her destination. Rouge decided running was her best option, especially since she could surely put enough distance between her and this thing better that way.

Taking to the ground and then sending white dust flying into the fact of the confused metal avenger, she sped off as fast as her heels would let her. She was no Sonic or Shadow, but she was no Amy Rose either; Rouge was as fast as any well-built Mobian was, and certainly faster than this thing was on the land. Charging into the steel tunnel that led to a forgotten underground civilization, where Omega and his kingdom of machines lived and plotted, she heard the heavy clang as this thing struggled to follow her.

_Hah!_ She thought triumphantly as the strange chaotic robot was stopped by the tiny hole in the earth. _Damned thing's too big to fit in. Now--_

Oh… how quickly hope dies! A powerful blast from behind her caused her to slow down and turn to stare as white enveloped the entire entryway and… lo and behold… the damn thing dissolved. "Of course," Rouge muttered sarcastically, shaking her head and turning away again. She still had no desire to see this thing; it was as if seeing it would be like laying herself at its talons and allowing it to kill her. Rouge the Bat was no martyr, that was for sure.

Hitting the button on the floor, where Omega had instructed it be left, red warning lights and a siren flashed through the several metallic buildings where surely the androids were planning on luring Eggman here, she continued to speed through the steel city, struggling to keep her former speed when she was so exhausted.

Finally deciding she couldn't take it anymore, she ducked behind the sharpest corner, hoping this thing didn't have heat sensory that could seek her instantly. Surely this wasn't necessary; after all… hadn't Eggman built this to kill _robots_, who gave off no heat? Breathing heavily but silently, she closed her mouth and clenched her body tightly, now knowing she'd have to see it.

And… what was this?

Not a robot?

Breathing… living… Mobian?

Well… kind of.

She hadn't seen anything like it -- or, at least, she hadn't in a long time. Half-Mobian, half-machine! With dark purple-black fur, it was in the Mobian's panther body, spots visible under a shaded coat. From where she was flattening herself, she could see one humane green-brown eye, and then beside it, where there should have been a match, was a marbled, unnaturally gleaming blood-red gem.

_Is that…? Is that what I THINK it is?_

Rouge felt sick to her stomach; no, she could have heaved up whatever it was she'd last eaten _right_ there, would it not have given her away. That half-buried jewel in this monster's eyes was a _Chaos Emerald!_


End file.
